Our Nutrition

Nikki has been a nursery cook for almost 10 years, 8 of those at Little Scholars. Nikki has a level 2 diploma in food production and cooking and enjoys cooking the children fresh, tasty, nutritious meals. She understands the importance of food hygiene in an around the kitchen, hence continuously maintaining the 5 star hygiene rating given by the food standards agency.
At home, Nikki and her husband have 2 teenage children and their dog, Freddie. In her spare time, Nikki enjoys socialising with friends and is also a keen cake decorator, making cakes for family and friends for special occasions.

Here at Little Scholars we are fully committed to a healthy eating policy, providing warm fresh cooked food to all our children. All menus are carefully planned and prepared each day on the premises by our experienced chef, using only the highest quality fresh ingredients. Children are provided with three meals plus a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. Fresh water is available throughout the day, which they are always encouraged to drink.

" It is especially important in the first three years to help little ones to eat well and encourage them to enjoy a variety of foods, as the foods they enjoy now will help to shape their food preferences and eating patterns in the future . Improving child nutrition in the UK not only enhances the health of an individual child and the wellbeing of families, but it can also have a huge impact on a country’s education attainment and lower the risk of disease"

We believe in educating children about food to encourage them to make healthy choices for themselves in a variety of ways such as gardening. We introduce children to eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables which they grow themselves in our outdoor grow patch. A well structured eating plan, with regular meals and snacks are important to establish a good eating habit.
“We endeavor to make mealtimes fun and an opportunity to learn. The children are supported with eating where necessary, yet given full encouragement to be independent" Clare Tibbert (Manager)

We use guidance from the Caroline Walker Trust to design menus that are nutritious and balanced and correctly portioned for the children’s ages. Our cook takes pride in preparing the meals fresh every day ready for the children to enjoy. We have found that children will often explore foods at nursery that they may not at home. Therefore our menus are varied and contain dishes that you would not normally find on a children’s menu using ingredients that are fresh, low in salt and sugar and restricted in colorants.

Week 1

Monday
Snack Am: Malt Loaf
Lunch: Chicken Curry
Pudding: Fruit Fool
Snack Pm: Bread sticks, dips and cherry tomatoes
Tea: Jacket potatoes, cheese, carrots and cucumber

Tuesday
Snack Am: Popcorn and fruit
Lunch: Quiche, mashed potato, beans and broccoli
Pudding: Bananas and custard
Snack Pm: Pitta bread, tzatziki and fruit
Tea: Bread roll, mozzarella cheese, humus, cucumber and carrot sticks

Wednesday
Snack Am: Pancakes and fruit
Lunch: Chicken, potatoes, mixed vegetables and gravy
Pudding: Jelly and mandarin oranges
Snack Pm: Crackers, cheese spread and cucumber
Tea: Tuna or cheese pasta

Thursday
Snack Am: Cracker bread, cottage cheese and cucumber
Lunch: Fish pie, sweetcorn and carrots
Pudding: Fresh fruit salad
Snack Pm: Yoghurt and fruit
Tea: egg mayonnaise or cheese spread sandwich

Friday
Snack Am: Breadstick, dips and cucumber
Lunch: Lasagne and garlic bread
Pudding: Semolina and chopped dates
Snack Pm: Popcorn and fruit
Tea: Pilchards and cheese on toast

Week 2

Monday
Snack Am: Crackers, cheese spread and pineapple
Lunch: Fish curry and rice
Pudding: Crunchy peach bake
Snack Pm: Yoghurt and fruit
Tea: Potato wedges, mozzarella cheese and oranges

Tuesday
Snack Am: Malt Loaf
Lunch: Moussaka and Greek salad
Pudding: Rice Pudding
Snack Pm: Crispbread, dips and cherry tomatoes
Tea: Jacket potatoes, cheese, carrot and cucumber

Wednesday
Snack Am: Bread rolls, cheese spread and carrot stick
Lunch: Cottage Pie and Vegetables
Pudding: Bread and butter pudding
Snack Pm: Popcorn and fruit
Tea: Chicken strips, bread and butter and salad

Thursday
Snack Am: Breadstick, humus and cucumber
Lunch: Beef Casserole and Potatoes
Pudding: Fruit crumble and custard
Snack Pm; Tzatziki, pitta and fruit
Tea: Tuna and cheese pasta with sweetcorn

Friday
Snack Am: Toast, yoghurt and banana
Lunch: Bigos and pasta
Pudding: Carrot cake
Snack Pm: Crackers, cottage cheese and fruit
Tea: Egg Mayonnaise and Cheese sandwiches

Week 3

Monday
Snack Am: Malt Loaf
Lunch: Vegetable Bolognese with broccoli
Pudding: Peach Fool
Snack Pm: Breadstick, dips and cherry tomatoes
Tea: Egg mayonnaise and cheese spread sandwiches

Tuesday
Snack Am: Bread roll, cheese spread and carrot sticks
Lunch: Cottage Pie, peas and broccoli
Pudding: Semolina and chopped dates
Snack Pm: Crispbread, cottage cheese and fruit
Tea: Chicken, Bread and butter and salad

Wednesday
Snack Am: Yoghurt and fruit
Lunch: Fish pie, sweetcorn and Carrots
Pudding: Fresh fruit salad
Snack Pm: Crackers, cheese spread and cucumber sticks
Tea: Jacket potatoes, cheese, onions and cucumber

Thursday
Snack Am: Breadstick, dips and cucumber
Lunch: Quiche, mashed potato, beans and broccoli
Pudding: Chinese Fruit Salad
Snack Pm: Popcorn and fruit
Tea: Bread roll, humus, mozzarella, cucumber and carrots

Friday
Snack Am: Pancakes and fruit
Lunch: Chicken, roast potatoes, mixed vegetables and gravy
Pudding: Jelly and mandarin oranges
Snack Pm: Yoghurt and fruit
Tea: Tuna or cheese pasta

Week 4

Monday
Snack Am: Toast, Yoghurt and Fruit
Lunch: Chilli, new potatoes and salad
Pudding: Crunchy peach bake
Snack Pm: Popcorn and fruit
Tea: Bread Rolls, Mozzarella, carrot and cucumber

Tuesday
Snack Am: Breadsticks, dip and pineapple
Lunch: Lasagne and garlic bread
Pudding: Blancmange
Snack Pm: Malt Loaf
Tea: Tuna and cheese pasta with sweetcorn

Wednesday
Snack Am: Cheese and pineapple sandwiches
Lunch: Sausage, mashed potatoes and beans
Pudding: Carrot cake
Snack Am: Yoghurt and fruit
Tea: Egg Mayonnaise and cheese sandwiches

Thursday
Snack Am: Popcorn and fruit
Lunch: Moussaka and Greek salad
Pudding: Rice Pudding
Snack Pm: crisp bread, humus and cherry tomatoes
Tea: Jacket potatoes, cheese, cucumber and carrots

Friday
Snack Am: Pitta Bread, tzatziki and fruit
Lunch: Fish curry and rice
Pudding: Bread and butter pudding
Snack Pm: Crackers, cheese spread and cucumber sticks
Tea: potato wedges, mozzarella and oranges